Shopping 101
Beginner's Luck: Part Three
By Jessica Brandon, B.S. (Bachelorette of Spending)
Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six
Hello, darlings! It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you, my loyal readers of a terrible disease I've contracted. It is an insidious ailment that strikes me every year around this time and leaves me powerless. The medical term for my affliction is "Outdoorus Forward Porticallis", but the layman's term for it is "Front Porch Disease". This dreadful ailment forces me to sit on my front porch on warm, sunny days and do absolutely nothing for hours on end.
Of course, you could say that this is the perfect time of the year for this sort of thing, unless you happen to be self-employed and have to set your own hours in order to get your work done in a timely manner. Fortunately I'm an early riser (usually around four or five AM), so I can be productive in the morning, then goof off the rest of the day. So, allow me to share with you the fruits of my labors, the third installment of my series on shopping for beginners.
In the previous two segments, I discussed how and where to buy your basic wardrobe, what it should contain, how to expand same as well as a breakdown on shoes, my favorite item to shop for. Now we come to what to wear beneath your basic wardrobe, that's right, kids, underwear. I'm sure a good many of you began your trek into the wilds of transgenderland through the wearing of women's underthings, so what I'm about to discuss should be of considerable interest to you.
What you wear beneath your clothes is just as important as the clothes themselves. You should have six bras and at least twice the number of panties. First, about bras, the styles and varieties are numerous, and can be confusing to the novice, I’ve alway
s been partial to the underwire, mainly because this style is best for use with whatever you choose to use for breastforms, as underwires with boning on the bottom of the cups hold breastforms firmly in place.
What about colors? Well, when it comes to bras, my advice is to go with black. I know you’ve probably skimmed through catalogs or been in stores and seen bras in virtually every color of the rainbow, not to mention dozens more patterns and the like, believe me when I tell you that trying to decide what colors to choose from can short circuit your brain. I know it did mine when I first started, so I referred to the K.I.S.S. strategem (Keep It Simple, Sister) and bought just one color, black. In addition, at least one of your bras should be strapless in the event you want to wear a strapless dress or gown to a party or other social function. Also, NEVER wear a white bra as it shows through everything.
With panties, the styles and colors and choices are equally as numerous, if not more so. Depending on your degree of crossdressing (as in the number of times you go out), a dozen pairs is a good starting point. Unless you’re like me and all I wear are panties, to which I own FOUR dozen pairs. Yes, Ladies, you heard me correctly. I haven't worn so much as a stitch of men's underwear since 1995, and I love it! My personal rule of thumb in this area is that I wear cotton panties, usually paired with a sport bra for my regular day to day male activities (my brand of choice if you're curious is Jockey For Her) and either satin or silk for when I’m crossdressed. I don’t know about you, but wearing all black underwear when I’m dressed makes me feel VERY sexy!!
Now we come to accessories to add to your wardrobe, beginning with....the handbag. Unlike men, a proper lady can’t go around carrying their stuff in their pockets. If you’re going to look like a woman, you have to carry a handbag like a woman. As with shoes, leather handbags are always a best bet. They’re durable, easy to care for and just look better than the man-made junk from the five and dime stores which might fall apart on you after awhile.
Just like shoes, handbags come in all shapes, sizes and colors for all manner of functions. For the purposes of this article, once again I’m going to adhere to the K.I.S.S. stratagem. For the rookie crossdresser, make your first handbag a simple black one, most women sport black bags and they’re probably the most popular with women. I would say that 8 out of every 10 women on the streets at any given time can be seen with one. Take note of that the next time you're out and you'll see I'm right.
On the subject of size, your handbag should be just large enough to carry everything you need for a regular, everyday outing, such as your wallet, car keys, tissues, a compact and lipstick, but not overly large. Nor should it be too small to where you can’t carry everything you need. For a formal function, a small purse or clutch in fabrics like silk or satin is best. You should have at least three to four handbags in varying sizes so you’ll have options available for whatever function you need it for.
Well, kids, that’s all for now. In Part Four, I'll wrap up the accessory talk with jewelry and hosiery, then move on to cosmetics. In the meantime, if you have any comments, tips or opinions, please send them to me at treetop@voicenet.com. Until next month, shop not just with your heart, but with your head!
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